Better than cable
by OneHotMess
Summary: E/C all the way. My final chapter of this story...read and review : Chapter 4 now up
1. lightning struck squirrel

Disclaimer: I don't own anything (sadly…)

A/N: I don't really know, this idea just popped into my head. I'm lying here on my couch watching my 54 episodes of csi Miami I have on my TV. My sister and I were like chasing each other and I fell and hit my head. Now I can't go to sleep because my doctor said they don't know if I have a concussion, and might go into a coma if I fall asleep. Fun right?

The italics are Eric's thoughts

Miami Dade Crime Lab, with its glass walls, gave Eric Delko the perfect opportunity to slack off. Watching people was fun. Who said that scientist are boring? Oh contraire, sometimes Eric thought that he should cancel his cable. Sitting back and watching the people in the lab was like being in one huge soap opera.

He began his "viewing" with a quick look over to the DNA lab. Natalia and Valera were giggling about something or another. _Oh great girl talk, next_. Just as he was about to shift his focus to a different lab, he spotted Ryan pacing nervously in the corridor. _Oh so that's what they're laughing about. Can't Wolfe see that the walls are made of freaking glass? _He watched for a few more seconds as Ryan, who was staring to slightly resemble a squirrel that had been struck by lightning, composed himself and strutted into the DNA lab. Oh _this ought to be good. I wonder if it's Natalia or Valera. Probably not Natalia, we all know how that ended up_. He smirked to himself at the thought of Ryan and Natalia's last go around.

He couldn't hear them talking, _stupid walls_, but he could see the sweat starting to form on Ryan's brow. _Man, I wish I had some popcorn. _Ryan fidgeted with his hands slightly, and looked to the floor. Natalia and Valera's faces gave nothing away. _I wonder which one he is asking out. _Suddenly Ryan blurted something out then looked around as if to find the nearest escape route. Still muted by the walls, Eric couldn't make out what they were saying, but supposed it was something along the lines of "you're hot. Go out with me?" Eric sighed as he shook his head. _Poor clueless Wolfe. He's never going to get girls that way. Man, I should really learn to read lips, I can't figure out which one he asked out. Hopefully it's not Natalia; I don't think Ryan could handle that…AGAIN. _As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a smile graced over the pretty face of Valera. _Oh my god, its Valera! Is she going to say yes? I hope she does, I don't think Wolfe could take anymore rejection. _Although he couldn't read lips, he didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the (quite passionate) kiss that Valera gave him probably meant that she liked him too. _Way to go wolf man. _

Eric leaned back in his chair. Maybe coming to work wasn't so bad after all. He heard some muffled giggling, and turned his head to see Maxine and Natalia walking down the arched hallway, heads ducked whispering into each other's ears. He turned his head back to the DNA lab where Ryan still stood; face a mixture of shock and pleasure. He sighed. _Guess I'll have to go get him. _He stood from his seat preparing to go pull Ryan out of his trance. At that moment Ryan seemed to snap out of his gaze, and a huge childlike smile spread over his features. Eric sat back down in his chair just as Ryan turned to leave the DNA lab.

_Oh my god! Is his shirt tucked into his underwear!? _Eric was soon on the floor of the trace lab, tears streaming down his face.

_Oh yes, definitely better than cable._

_A/N: The whole shirt in the underwear thing happened last week to my Spanish . I know that it's kinda mean but OMG! It was so freaking funny. My friend Arielle and I were on the ground crying for like ten minutes. Lmao_


	2. lovebug

Alright here's another chapter. I was going to leave it an one shot, but I got bored so…

Disclaimer: once again I don't own anything *sigh* because if I did I wouldn't be on the computer writing fanfics, I would be spending all mi dinero! Haha.

A/N: This time the italics are Calleigh's thoughts.

_Is he at it again? What is his obsession with watching people?_

Calleigh stood in utter disbelief as she watched her partner "people watching"…again. She sighed. All the criminals in this freaking city were going to be running free because of him. She knew how to handle this, she was a Duquesne after all, and Duquesnes know how to put people in line. She abandoned the gun fragment that was running through IBIS, and turned in her famous 4 inch pumps towards the fingerprint lab. She was going to set Eric Delko straight once and for all.

She strutted down the short hallway and barged her way into the lab. Eric didn't even flinch, he didn't' seem to know that she was there.

"Umm… hello earth to Eric"

"SHHHH"

"Excuse me!?" That seemed to do the trick, and Eric turned around with a sheepish grin plastered across his face.

"Oh hey, Calleigh. What brings the most beautiful ballistics expert down to my neck of the woods?" There it was that stupid childlike grin that always made her stomach flutter. She was about to forgive him right then and there, but she knew that she had to stand her ground. She chose to ignore that complement, and instead changed the subject entirely.

"Eric Delko every criminal in Miami decides to come out and play today and you're sitting here watching people in our lab. Do you see anything wrong with that picture?" _ Damn, if he would just stop smiling at me like that and then maybe I could actually focus on work._

"Oh, come one Calleigh lighten up. It's fun" _ God, I love how it sounds when he says my name_

"Seriously Delko, you're spying on people. Isn't that like an invasion of privacy?" Instead of answering her, he surprised her by pulled her down into his lap and turning them so that they had an outstanding view of the whole lab. Before she had a chance to even react, he started to talk.

"Alright, so all today I've been wondering what's going on around here."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look around Cal. Everyone's been bitten by a love bug or something."

"A love bug Delko? That's manly," she smirked, but he either didn't hear her, or chose not to pay attention.

"Okay look at Wolfe and Valera. They've been all over each other all day. I know he asked her out, but I mean she can't actually like him can she? I mean come on. That's Wolfe we're talking about."

"ERIC! That's so mean. Ryan's very..um..well he has… oh you know what I mean. Why can't you two just get along?"

"Not my point. Anyway, look over there," he said pointing in the direction of the DNA lab where Dan Cooper was doing a horrible job of trying to hit on Natalia who was doing a fantastic job at ignoring him.

"Oh my god, poor Nat," Calleigh exclaimed while placing a hand over her eyes.

"I know right? That's what I thought. Maybe Coop should try someone a little more…on his level."

"ERIC!"

"Sheesh Cal, take a joke. Then again no, that wasn't a joke." He smiled widely. Calleigh pivoted in his lap to meet his smile with a glare of her own.

"Anyway, moving on"

"Alright, this is the main exhibit. Look over there in the interrogation room." Calleigh shifted in Eric's lap to see Horatio and Yelina interrogating a suspect for a current case. Once that suspect was taken out of the room Horatio and Yelina began to discuss the case. Every so often Yelina would touch his arm lightly or stare into his eyes intently while he was talking. Horatio didn't seem to mind at all; in fact he was gazing just as intently into her eyes. Calleigh couldn't help but let out a quite "awww" of approval which was immediately followed by a smirk from Eric. She turned once again in his lap to face him.

"What?" She asked with a questioning look on her face. He just smiled again and shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing, I just think it's cute. The infamous "Bullet Girl" getting all mushy" he joked. "Oww," he exclaimed when he was punched in the arm by Calleigh.

"Shut up Delko you better not tell anyone. I just don't see how two people can be so close to each other, but not see that they're perfect for each other." With that she got off of his lap and strolled out into the busy hallway.

"Oh hey Calleigh," he called after her. She turned around and walked back towards him.

"Yeah?"

"You're little secret's safe with me," he smiled. A matching smile graced her own features.

"Thanks," and with that she continued down the crowded halls of Miami Dade Crime Lab.

Miami Dade Crime Lab with its glass walls. Perfect for people watching.

_Maybe he's right. I think it might just be better than cable._


	3. lovestruck puppydog

Disclaimer: ahh-viously I own nothing  
A/N: I seriously must have no life…on with the story. I couldn't decide whose perspective to write this in, so I flipped a coin. Hey what can I say, I don't like planning ahead. Ironically enough it landed on Eric. So sit back ladies and gentlemen, and please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times.

* * *

It had become sort of like a ritual. A privacy invading-we really shouldn't be doing this- oh what the heck at least I get to spend time with him ritual. On the rare occasions when criminals decided to "take a break" (sometimes even during busy hours) a person could find a Cuban csi and his blonde counterpart gazing into the busy hallways of Miami-Dade crime lab.

They had been sitting there for a better part of the afternoon looking for something "interesting" to watch, and to his delight Calleigh was the one who had suggested they should do it in the first place. To his dismay however, she had also brought her own chair this time.  
"No way!" Her exclamation reverberated down the silent halls of the lab. She quickly hid her face in her hands to keep from laughing. He was about to remark on her sudden outburst but thought better of it. He gingerly rubbed the spot on his arm that was _just _beginning to heal.  
"I swear Cal"  
"Come on, you have to be joking"  
"No I swear Natalia actually said yes!"  
"Oh my god! Yes to Cooper? Dan Cooper? As in computer Geek-can't get a girl-Dan Cooper? When did this happen? How could she do something like that? Wait, did he drug her?" The seriousness in her voice brought a smirk out of Eric. _What happened to her whole "Let's be nice to the world, and shower people with rose petals" deal? And since when did Calleigh ramble? _Catching Eric staring at her with a smirk on his face Calleigh turned her head to hide the blush that was slowly creeping up on her face."What?" She questioned, slightly nervous by his intent staring. _Calleigh has a shy side? Who knew?  
_ "Oh nothing," he replied nonchalantly, a smile threatening to break upon his lips. _What were we talking about again?  
_ "Anyway… Natalia and Cooper?" She replied, nervousness still present in her voice. _Oh yeah, that's right  
_ "Well you know how he's been following her around like a love struck puppy dog?" With her slight nod and giggle (oh yes ladies and gentlemen, Calleigh Duquesne actually can giggle) he continued.  
"Well I guess he must have annoyed her enough that she finally gave in," he said with a shrug. _Poor Dan probably doesn't know the difference between a pity date and a real date. Man, what's up with the guys in this lab? First Wolfe now Cooper. Am I the only non-dating challenged around here?  
_ "Seriously? Poor Nat," Calleigh replied shaking her head. She took a quick peek into the DNA lab where Natalia was vigorously rubbing her temple. She sighed then turned her attention back to Eric. "How did you find out anyway?" _That's Calleigh, a CSI at heart.  
_ "Well if you missed the war cries Dan was giving for about, oh let's see," he paused to take a look at his watch. "10 minutes, then I saw when the 'deed' actually took place, and if you ask me…"  
"Wait a second let me guess," Calleigh interrupted with her emerald eyes sparkling; "you were slacking off again, and watching people in the lab." _God, I seriously thought we were past this.  
_ "Come on Cal," he groaned covering his face with his hand. "I thought we'd been over this, and you did say you were okay with it."  
"Sheesh Delko take a joke," she rehashed his words from a couple days prior. _Oh, she wants to play cute does she? Well it takes two to tango.  
_ "Ms. Duquesne are you getting fresh with me?" He attempted his best serious look, only to have it fail when she tilted her head and arched her eyebrow slightly. "Maybe I was wrong, I think you're the puppy dog," he exclaimed referring to the quite dog-like look she was giving him.  
"Are you comparing me to a dog Mr. Delko?" She questioned, eyebrow still cocked. _Mr. Delko. That has a nice ring to it. I could get used to that. _Before he knew it they were easily slipping back in to their usual flirty banter, only to be so rudely interrupted by her cell vibrating across the table."Oh, my god!" she exclaimed. "I have to get back to work, and you should too." _Does work always have to get in the way? _As she approached the door he called out to her.  
"Tomorrow? Same time same place?" _oh god please say yes _he silently prayed fingers crossed under the table. She seemed to hesitate for e brief second before a mega watt smile grazed her face.  
"You know it," and with a wink she was gone.

He strained to hear the last staccato beats of her stilettos as she rounded the corner. Maybe he finally had the courage to ask her what he had been meaning to ask her for almost seven years, then again he could always think about that tomorrow. Right now he wanted to savor the moment. Lock it up in his memory bank. God, that woman was going to be the death of him.

_Maybe there's more than one thing better than cable._

A/N: and there you have it…another chapter…another boring day in my life…hope you liked it (: Reviews are appreciated  
Also- sorry if you like Cooper. It's just that stealing speed's credit card and posting the "Solve a Crime with Calleigh" website, did not get him very many points in my book. I apologize profusely if I offended anyone. (:  
Oh and- they puppy dog look was inspired by my dog buck. While I was writing this story he was sitting at the end of my bed giving me that look. Ah, my muse!


	4. Seven years in the making

Disclaimer: i didnt make csi miami, i didnt create calleigh, eric, maxine, or natalia, i didnt create , i didnt create the internet, and i absolutly did not invent the computer  
A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, they make my day (: I'm writing this chapter in celebration for getting a good grade on my math quiz (plus it's probably the only thing I'll get to do this weekend because I have a report and a project. Ughh if you're not in high school yet, don't go into IB. Maybe I can go to the new mall that just opened like 5 minutes away from my house. Perfect much?) So here we go…  
Italics: Calleigh

Warning: Rated a little T. Nothing OMG! angsty, just some sweet "displays of affection" (:

* * *

Click Click Click. Calleigh Duquesne gathered power from the sharp and prominent noise her heels were reverberating through the Miami- Dade crime lab. As she rounded the corner she was hindered for a moment by the sounds of angry voices echoing of the walls. _What the heck? _She slowly approached the Fingerprinting lab where her partner, Eric Delko, was mindlessly staring out into the crime lab.

"What's going on?" She asked plopping into the seat that he had already pulled out for her. It was nice taking a little time out of the day, away from all the crime, to spend time with her best friend.

"Hey Cal, nice to see you too. How am I? Good, thanks for asking," he replied with a smirk playing across his lips. _Why does he have to be so freaking cute? _She rolled her eyes, ignoring his jab.

"What's going on?" She repeated again, a little firmer this time. He only smiled, his stare lingering just long enough to make her feel uncomfortable. Squirming under his glare she shifted in her chair giving him a subtle hint. He seemed to read her body language perfectly, well that had never really been a problem, as he shifted his gaze back to the scene unfolding in front of them.

"Girl fight," he replied simply, motioning toward the DNA lab where Natalia and Valera were in the midst of a shouting fight.

"Oh my god! Eric we have to do something," Calleigh exclaimed, her southern upbringing rearing its head.

"C'mon Cal, sit back relax, put your feet up." _There's that smirk again. Does he really expect me to just sit here watching two of my friends fight till the death? No sir, if he thinks that will stop me he's got another thing coming. _She was surprised when he reached over a pressed his palm to her shoulder, effectively pushing her to the back of the chair.

"Eric," She replied breathlessly at the sensation of his touch. _Maybe I will stay here what's the big deal? _Sensing her obvious discomfort he quickly changed the subject.

"It's Wolfe."

"What?" She replied slightly confused by the sudden change of topic.

"Valera and Natalia," he motioned over his shoulder towards the lab where they were still fighting. "I they're fighting over Wolfe."

"Ryan?" Calleigh asked, crinkling her brow in confusion.

"Well not _over _him per say," he shrugged. "He said something to Natalia that got her really mad at him."

"Oh. Where is he? I haven't seen him in a while." With her question a smile broke out across his face.

"In the hospital," he replied trying to come off nonchalant, failing miserably when he caught sight of the disapproving look Calleigh was giving him.

"Oh my gosh!" Calleigh exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands. "What happened?"

"Natalia, that's what," the smile still grazing his features made her knees go weak. _Thank God I'm sitting down. Wait what we were talking about? Someone's hurt. Who? Ryan? Yeah that's it, Ryan's hurt._

_"_What'd she do to him?" Her curiosity peaking

"Freaking beat the hell out of him," Eric replied with a hearty chuckle. "You know how Natalia and Cooper where supposed to go on their date last night?" With Calleigh's quick nod he continued. "Well it runs out she 'forgot' about it," he commented doing air quotes in the process. Calleigh raised her eyebrow once again. "And Ryan, being as stupid as he is, decided he was going to go poke some fun at Natalia."

"Oh no, he didn't," Calleigh exclaimed, briefly remembering the one time that Natalia nearly bit her head off at the mention of a bad date.

"Mhhmm," was Eric's only reply.

"So how does Maxine fit into all of this?"

"Whoa Calleigh slow down, I'm getting there." She turned her head to hide her blush at the urgency of her voice. _Get a hold of yourself Duquesne; you're not a teenager anymore. "_Any way," Eric continued. "Valera just happened to be walking by when Natalia threw a punch to his nose. She ran like hell, and charged Natalia straight in the stomach. When Natalia fell over she grabbed Ryan and ran out the doors." Calleigh's Eyes widened with shock.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, I swear that's how it happened?"

"So what's she doing back here?"

"I don't know," Eric shrugged. "Getting even?"

"So I take it that Ryan and Valera are pretty close now," she replied trying to mask her curiosity. _Gossip magazines are great, but it's even better when gossip's about people you actually know. And to think some people seem to assume that Valera's the lab gossip._

"Oh yeah, they are all over each other. The other day I was walking into the locker room to get my stuff before I left, and I walked in on them in an extreme make-out session. He had already starting to unbutton her blouse." He shivered at the memory that had scared him for life.

"Seriously? What did you do?" She questioned, slightly shocked that Ryan would do something so… unprofessional.

"Ran like hell," Eric joked. She laughed, feeling a sense of familiarity between them that she hadn't felt in years.

"So how long have they been going at it?" She questioned as she motioned over to the other lab where a small crowd had begun to form.

"Umm ten miutes?'

"And no one's done anything?" She questioned skeptical that Horatio could be okay with this.

"Well you know H would have, but no one's seen him in a while. Last I saw he was leaving in a hummer with Yelena," he replied as he raised his eyebrow suggestively.

"Eric Delko!" She exclaimed lightly smacking him on the arm. He just returned her grin. They held each other's gaze for a while longer before turning their eyes back to the hall where money was being passed around. "Are they betting?" Calleigh asked in disbelief.

"Who do you think would win?" He asked taking her somewhat off guard. She glared at him for a moment before answering him truthfully.

"Valera," she replied simply.

"Really, he asked somewhat shocked. "See me; I think that Natalia could easily win. I mean if she wanted to she could just knock Valera out with her big…"

"And that's my cue to leave," she said standing up quickly slightly embarrassed. As she walked to the door she turned around quickly as Eric called out to her. She was surprised to find him standing mere inches away from her. He slowly inched forward, closing the remaining space between them. _OH MY GOD! IS THAT HIS HEART BEAT? I THINK IM GOING TO PASS OUT. OH GOD PLEASE DON'T PASS OUT. _He seemed to judge her hesitation as a bad sign, and slowly began to pull away. He was surprised when she reached out to grab his shirt and stood on her tiptoes to finally close the small space between them. His hand grazed down her side until it came to rest on her hip, while the other tangled in her hair twirling it around his fingers. She reached up to wrap both arms around his neck trying to pull him impossibly closer. When they finally broke the kiss he leaned down once more to press a lazy kiss onto her hair.

"You know I was just joking right?" He replied, the huskiness in his voice sending shivers down her spine.

She quickly scanned her brain, searching for the source of the question. _What's he talking about? Oh right, Natalia. _"Yeah," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She leaned up for a lazy peck on his lips before pulling away. He tried to lean down for another kiss, but she stopped him short. "Not here." She could see the disappointment flash across his face. _Oh god, he must think I regret it. "_Come over to my place around 8?" She questioned, apparently surprising him as much as she had surprised herself.

"You know it," he replied, a coy smirk plying on his lips. "As long as I get some more of this," he demanded, trying to lean down for another kiss.

"Dream on diver man," she replied with a smirk of her own as she retreated to the door. "See you tonight," she called over her shoulder leaving him standing motionless in the doorway.

The fight between Maxine and Natalia drew to a close as Horatio stepped into their line of view: while numerous lab techs scattered off in different directions. If they had been paying closer attention they might have witnessed what all of them had always hoped for. If they had just turned around they could have witnessed what had been seven years in the making. If they had just turned around they might have witnessed the beginning of something new, if only they had turned around.

_Some things are definitely better than cable_

A/N: Wheww, I betcha didn't see that coming (: Neither did I really, my fingers have a mind of their own. Well I think that's about it for this story, but I might think about writing a sequel or something. I really want to write a Thanksgiving piece, so be on the lookout sometime next week. Thanks for all your wonderful support, it means so much to me (:

Oh and if you think I might have it out for Ryan, im sorry. Like I said my fingers have a mind of their own. Personally, I love Ryan. He is like my third favorite character, and it doesn't hurt that he is extremely HOTT!


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